


Twin-Sized Mattress

by TheSecretFandom



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 05:57:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8566600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecretFandom/pseuds/TheSecretFandom
Summary: It's your first year in college. You're single and independent... but how could you overlook your sexy Resident Advisor.





	1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Y/N... you choose today of all days to be sick? Unreal!" Your roommate sighed from her side of your dorm room. It was orientation day and you were stuck in bed, Netflix queued up and a trusty "puke" bucket at your side.  
"I'm sorry, Katie... I wanted to go with you, I really did. I can't go, though. I'll puke all over everyone and that is NOT the kind of first impression I want to make."  
"I suppose I'll have to forgive you then." She stood and started toward the door. "It's just that you're the only person on campus that I know!"  
"You've known me for two days."  
"Well, in person maybe, but I feel like we made some sort of spiritual connection when I saw your name on my roommate assignment sheet."  
"Katie, you're wearing me out with your theories. Go! Have fun... I'll be fine."  
She finally reached the doorknob and began to walk out the door. Before she shut the door behind her she called back, "Be awake when I get back, so I can tell you everything!"  
\----------------------  
"I'll see you all tomorrow!" Voices and laughter coming from the door, waking you up. For a moment you almost forgot where you were. This wasn't home. Then you remembered, You're in college now. That was your roommate.  
The door slammed and you groaned.  
"Oh, Y/N... I'm sorry. Were you sleeping?"  
"Nah, not anymore. How was orientation?"  
"Ah-may-zing! So I ended up sitting with a bunch of people just a little down the hall. So like, it's me, Jordan, Mike, Alicia, Shane, Samantha, and a couple of others."  
"You realize those names mean nothing to me, right?"  
"Well...yeah, but you'll know them someday. So anyway..."  
Katie talked for an hour. She told you the ups and downs of the day. Every little thing that happened, she told you about it. To be honest, you got a little bored. She was a very talkative person with little filter and a knack for ignoring any voice that wasn't her own.  
"Ugh, you should have seen our RA. He's so hot! Too bad I have a boyfriend, or I'd be all over him."  
"We have a guy RA?" You knew that this was a co-ed floor... actually it was a co-ed hallway. This was one of the few colleges that allowed boys and girls in the same hallway.  
"Yeah, I guess there are, like, more girls living in our hall, so we got a guy RA to balance things out or something. I know I'm going to look forward to seeing him around for the rest of the year. God! Could life be any better right now?"  
"Well, I'm glad you had a good time. I'm going to be living in your socialite shadow all year now, aren't I?" You joked, standing up to walk to your closet, a little crevice in the wall with newly hung curtains covering the mess.  
A knock came from the door, which was right next to the two closets, and you jumped. You wobbled backwards a little, still a little dizzy from your sickness. Katie hopped off of her bed, ignoring your disoriented wobble to open the door.  
"Ashton! Hello! What are you doing here?"  
"Just checking in. I'm required to do room checks for the first week."  
"Well, by all means..." She motioned inside, but Ashton was rooted to the spot.  
"No thank you, I can check just fine from here." He glanced around, presumably to be sure you didn't have anything you weren't meant to have. That's when he spotted you, sitting at the end of your bed. His eyes widened. "I'm sorry, but it's eleven o'clock, you'll have to go back to your own floor."  
"Excuse me?" You asked. Not quite understanding what he meant.  
"It's just the rule I have to follow. It's silly I know." He smiled a little. "It's just for this week I promise. Then you can stay in your friend's room all you want."  
"Wait a second...you think this isn't my room? I'm her roommate."  
"You are? I didn't meet you at orientation today. It was mandatory you know." Ashton crinkled his eyebrows, trying to determine if you were lying.  
"I was sick."  
"Oh, well I am very sorry. I just assumed everyone was present today. Your name?" He stepped hesitantly into the room, just a step.  
"Y/N."  
"Ashton." He held out a hand for you to shake.  
"Sick." You said, motioning to his hand. He took your hand anyway.  
"I have a strong immune system." He grinned. "Have a good night ladies, and I'll see you around."  
He shut the door behind him as he left. Katie turned to you immediately.  
"Wow! Did you see how nervous he was? You must have scared the shit out of him. He so likes you!"  
"What the hell are you talking about? He told me to get out of the room. What would make you think he likes me?"  
"I saw the way he looked at you. He likes you. But I don't expect you to believe me."  
"He had an accent." You observed innocently.  
"I just knew you had a thing for foreign boys. And Australia of all places. What a hunk!"  
\------------------------  
That Monday was the start of classes. You'd walked through campus on Sunday, finding all of your classes and setting up a routine, so now you had no troubles finding your classes.  
Your first class of the day was English 188, at ten o'clock that morning. One long lecture later you were headed to lunch at the food court. Of course, you recognized no one. You sat at a table alone and ate your lunch with your long-time friend, your laptop.  
Your last class of the day was Music Theory, a class you took on a whim. You'd hoped it would be simple and fun. At four o'clock you found yourself sitting in the third row of a small classroom, staring at none other than your attractive resident adviser. He stood at the front of the room, talking quietly with the professor. Was he in this class? There's no way a senior would be taking a Music Theory class.  
"Good Afternoon, students! And welcome to the first day of Music Theory. I am Professor Nissen, and this is Mr. Irwin. He will be assisting in the teaching of this class as a student professor. Get used to him, he'll be here all semester. Now! I'd like to start with..."  
You zoned a little bit now. Ashton sat behind a small desk at the front of the room. He had a notebook out and was slowly and deliberately taking notes. Every once in a while he would shake is hair a little and push it back on his head. Fuck, you should really start paying attention to the professor. But your mind continued to wander. Ashton glanced up every once in a while to scan the room. About half an hour into the lecture he spotted you and smiled. He threw a wave your way and you ducked your head, scrawling down whatever the professor had just said into your notebook.  
"Okay, so there is about ten minutes left in class, and I would like to allow Mr. Irwin to tell you a bit about what he has planned for the class."  
Ashton smiled and slid slowly out of his chair. He sat down again on the front of his tiny desk, obviously trying to act casual.  
"Okay, first of all I'd like to thank all of you for not rolling your eyes right now. I know I did when I was in your place three years ago."  
You were paying apt attention now. So he was a senior. You knew he'd had to be at least a junior to become an RA, and now you figured he had to be a senior in order to be a teaching assistant.  
"I don't recognize most of you, but I assure you that by the end of this semester...we'll know each other very well." Maybe it was Katie inching into your head, but you could have sworn Ashton looked directly at you for that last part. "My part in this class is going to focus on one main project. This will hopefully be a fun project for everyone. I can't tell you too much about it now, but I can tell you that we'll be focusing on different conspiracy theories on a topic of your choice. That's really all I need to say for now, so I'll hand the mic back to Professor Nissen." Ashton mimed throwing a mic back to the professor and took his seat again.  
\---------------------------------------  
When class ended you packed your things to head back to your dorm. You had no more classes today and just really wanted to spend time alone in your room. It was a long day, your first official day of college, and you were worn out. It would be so satisfying to crawl into your bed and sleep the rest of the day away.  
"Hey! Y/N, right?"  
You turned around sharply, nearly taking out the person directly behind you. Wow! Was this sidewalk crowded or what?  
"Y/N! It's me, Ashton." He jogged up to you and fell into your stride. "So, you're taking a music theory class? Are you considering majoring in music?"  
"Me? Um, no... not really my forte." You paused and Ashton simply smiled. "No pun intended."  
"Hey, it's not for everyone. What are you majoring in then?"  
"Undecided. Look, I know you're trying to be nice an whatever. I guess it's your job to make all of us 'freshies' feel welcome, but it's okay. Really. I'll get in contact with you if I need help with anything." You couldn't tell if this sounded rude, but you really hoped it didn't. The last thing you needed was your RA to hate you. You quickened your pace, hoping he didn't confront you about your outburst.  
"Hey!" With legs as long as his it didn't even take effort for him to keep your pace. "That's not what I was trying to do. I mean, yeah I'm trying to be nice, but it's not my job. It's actually that you seem like an interesting person that I might have something in common with. Did you know you're the only one in my hall that I've seen set foot in the performing arts building? That's two things in common right off the bat. We live, what, two doors down from each other, and now you're spending time in my performing arts building!"  
"Your building? I'm pretty sure it's not called the Irwin Institute of Music."  
"It may as well be. I'm the only senior music major on campus as far as I can tell. The only dedicated one, that is."  
"I'm sure you're very busy then, so I'll let you continue on your career goals and I'll go back to my room."  
"You can't get rid of me so easy, Y/N." Ashton shook his head at you. "I'm going back to my room too which, as I just recently pointed out, is only two doors down from yours."  
You rolled your eyes, but didn't say anything else. Ashton walked next to you in silence until you got back to your hall. He even waited with you at your door until you got it unlocked. When you went in you expected him to leave, but he just poked his head into the room. "Nice place. See you Wednesday, walking buddy!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short Chapter...

"Tell me all about it! He walked you home. And on the first day of classes no less!" Katie squealed. You wouldn't have dared to tell her that Ashton walked with you back from class, but you didn't have a choice. Well, you didn't technically even tell her. She was just sitting in the room when Ashton called you his "walking buddy."  
"It's not like that, Katie." You sighed, falling into your bed. "He's assistant teaching in my music theory class, and we both had to go the same way to get home, obviously. He basically just walked next to me. He didn't even talk most of the time."  
"Y/N and Ashton sitting in a tree." She sang.  
"STOP! Katie, please. I'm so not interested in dating some older guy with obviously a lot more experience in a lot more things."  
"Things?" She cooed.  
"Katie!" You actually giggled now. "Shut up! That's not what I meant! I just meant... oh, never mind what I meant. He doesn't like me, and I don't like him. Now let's go get supper or something."  
Lo and behold, Ashton showed up in line directly behind you two in the dining hall. You ignored the fact he was there, at least, you ignored him for as long as you could. Evidently he managed to either recognize the back of your head or your voice.  
"Y/N! Fancy meeting you here!" He grinned.  
"Well, it is the dining hall. And it's six o'clock, so it's kind of the prime supper time."  
"Well if you want to be all technical about it!" He peeked around you. "Good evening, Katie."  
She turned, a grin and a blush already marking her face. "Hi, Ashton. I heard you're teaching a class that Y/N is in. She seems really excited about it."  
You glared at her. Was she trying to ruin your life?  
"Actually, I'm assistant teaching. In all reality, I don't get to do much of anything, but I am glad she enjoys it." He looked back at you now.  
"Well, I'm on an urgent mission for pizza and ice-cream, so if you'll excuse me!" You dashed off to an opposite corner of the cafeteria, leaving Ashton and Katie in your wake. Now if you could just find the pizza.  
\------------------------------------------------  
By the next week rumors were floating around that you and Ashton were dating, no doubt courtesy of Katie's big mouth. It was Friday now, and you were running late to your final class of the week, Music Theory. In all reality, you probably weren't even late, but showing up two minutes before class started was not your idea of a good time. In the midst of your rush to get past the crowded hallway, you took a corner a little too sharply ran right into someone.  
"Sorry, sorry..." You kept walking, not even looking at the face connected to the body.  
"In a hurry, Y/N?" Ashton asked you.  
"Class starts in a minute, Ashton. Shouldn't you be there already?"  
"Class was cancelled today. Haven't you checked your e-mail today? The professor's out sick."  
"What? No, I haven't checked my e-mail since last night." You sighed. Obviously, today just isn't your day. You were sprinting to a class that isn't even happening. "I guess I'll just..." You started walking back the way you came and wow, did you feel like an idiot.  
"I can walk you back to the dorms if you like. I was going to get a head start on a paper that I have to write. Are you going back to your room?"  
"Well, yeah but..." You sighed. "Look, Ashton. I appreciate everything you're doing, trying to help me out an all, but I think you need to stop. Or start spending more time helping someone else."  
"No one else is in my music theory class." He pointed out.  
"Ashton, you have to stop. Katie thinks we're dating and she's telling everyone. And they believe her because they see us walking back from class together all the time."  
"I don't understand."  
"Are you that oblivious? We're not dating, and I don't want people to think we are."  
"So, what you're saying is I can't talk to you. Ever?" His face was red and he scowled slightly.  
"Not like, never... just not nearly as much. Just stop for a while, and maybe we can talk again later. I don't know. I just need to nip these rumors in the bud."  
"Fine, if that's what you want. I'll see you around I guess." He shook his head, running his hands through his curly hair as he trudged away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short sexual assault scene toward the beginning of this chapter.

For the next few weeks you saw Ashton quite often. After all, you shared a class and lived so near to each other. You never talked though. Ashton would every so often glance at you during class, but he wouldn't offer a smile. You didn't offer anything back. Everything was becoming normal. Not even Katie had brought up the change.  
You did happen to run into Ashton at a Halloween party at a house just off campus. You found a wine cooler hidden at the bottom of a cooler in the backyard. Everyone else was drinking beer from the keg, but you always leaned towards fruity drinks. Ashton was in the back with some other guys. They were in the middle of an intense game of beer pong, so you sat to watch.  
Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but Ashton looked really good that night. He was dressed as police officer...actually, it was more like a stripper dressed as a police officer, but you weren't complaining. You were dressed as the female mad-hatter. Not exactly a matching pair, you noticed.   
There was a lot of shouting and a lot of drinking, and then there was more shouting after the drinking. Not to mention the laughter. Everyone around you was laughing. A couple flirting in the corner of the porch, a few girls you could hear giggling through the kitchen window, and the group of guys crowding the lawn.   
Ashton's eyes were shining, he was obviously drunk. You didn't think you'd ever seen him smile that much. He threw back another shot of beer and looked around the yard. He spotted you on the steps to the porch and paused as if he didn't know what to do. After what looked like a lot of deliberation he smiled and waved at you. You waved back. Everyone here was drunk or high so there was no chance that anything you did tonight would be taken seriously or even remembered.   
"Hey, babe." A deep voice sounded behind you. You turned, but didn't recognize the guy.  
"I think you're looking for someone else."  
"Nah, you look just the right size."  
He was muscular. Probably a football player. His cutoff shirt showed his biceps, but he didn't stop talking long enough for you to get any real information out of him.  
"Look, I'm not interested. I think you need to leave now."  
"I wouldn't leave you alone here, baby. Not in that little dress. Someone else might go after you." He let his hand wander to your knee and you pushed him off. "Hey! Don't you go disrespecting, little girl."  
"Don't. Touch. Me." You replied shortly.   
His hand gripped your knee again and held tight. You couldn't push him off this time, and his had was traveling up your thigh, and he had another hand winding its way around your waist.  
"Let gmhh!" His hand was gone from your thigh and now wrapped around your mouth. He lifted you by your waist and carried you back into the house. You flung your arms around wildly, trying to hit any part of this guy that you could. "Mhhh!"  
No one could hear you, and if they could they wouldn't care. Everyone was too absorbed in the night's festivities to notice anything going on around them. You were doomed and you knew it. You were dragged up the stairs towards a hall full of bedrooms. Some, you could hear, were already occupied.  
"I'm going to let go of your mouth now, babe. Don't go screaming, okay? No one will hear you up here." He let go and you immediately screamed for help as he pushed you into an empty room and shut the door. He forgot to lock it, you noticed, in his haste to shut you up. "Didn't I tell you not to scream?" He asked, pinning you to the bed.  
"Help! Helffmm!" He had your mouth covered again, this time it was his mouth covering yours. You gagged at the taste of his smoky breath. You could no longer move. He had your arms pinned above your head and was straddling your legs. His hands were so large that he could hold both of your wrists in one when he let the other roam your body. He had one hand finding its way up your skirt as his tongue explored your mouth. He freed your mouth to switch positions and you saw your final chance. You screamed again. "HELP!"  
He slapped you. "Shut up!" You were crying when he pushed your legs apart and let his hands move closer and closer to...  
"Hey! Get off of her!" Someone shouted, barging in to the room. Suddenly the hands were gone from your body and you no longer felt your attacker's weight on the bed. You were alone on the bed and crying. It took you a moment to remember to close your legs.  
The fight was taking up half of the room. The guy swung and hit the other person in the jaw. The other person... he looked familiar. You searched your cloudy brain to figure it out. You felt it had to be someone you knew. That's when you saw the police hat discarded on the floor. It was Ashton! But he was outside, how did he find you here?  
You didn't have time find the answer to this question. Ashton was yelling. "Y/N! Get out! Run!"  
You ran, or you tried to run. Your legs weren't working right. You were shaking so hard that your legs gave out on you half way out the door. You crawled a little farther, but eventually collapsed just a few feet down the hall. You cried. You hadn't cried this hard in a long time.  
"Y/N, what are you doing?" Ashton shouted, running to you. "Did he hurt you?" He pulled you off the ground and into his arms. "Oh my God. We have to get you out of here." He carried you carefully down the stairs and out the front door. The party was still going full force all around you, and no one noticed your tears and running make-up.  
"Can you walk?" Ashton asked when you finally got outside. You nodded and he set you on your feet. "I don't have a car with me, but I'll bring you back to the dorms."  
You let him lead you around the block as you both started the short walk back to the dorm. He stood closer to you than he ever had before, and he kept one hand hovering just over the small of your back.  
"I'm so sorry, Y/N." He whispered when you were only a block from campus.  
"What do you have to be sorry about?" You replied, your voice shaky. "You saved me. I don't know what would've happened if you'd come in any later. He was... he was going to..." Your voice cracked and more tears began to fall.  
"You don't have to talk about it. I know. Don't worry. I'm with you now, and I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?"  
You nodded again, but the tears kept falling. Ashton stopped walking and turned to face you. You stopped and looked at him, then you fell into his arms. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you closer. You buried your head into his neck and cried.   
"Y/N?"  
You mumbled.   
"I just wanted you to know... this isn't in the job description. I was saving you because I wanted to...because I had to, not because I'd be fired if I didn't. You're more than just someone in my hall. You're way more than that."  
\----------------------------------------------------------  
You woke up with a massive headache. You rolled over and breathed into your pillow. Wait. That was not your pillow. It smelled too... boyish. There was the smell of sweat and cologne surrounding you. The blanket you were wrapped in was a dark blue, not light purple you were used to, and the pillow you rested on was flatter than it should be.  
A light snore sounded from somewhere else in the room. There was a boy lying on the floor next to the bed. Ashton. This must be his room. You observed its contents. A drum set was sitting in one corner of the room with a keyboard and guitar sitting just next to it. The windows were covered by what looked like a black sheet, effectively keeping any sign of sunlight out of the room.   
You stretched and rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. A shooting pain went down your cheek. "Ahh...Fuck." You mumbled.  
"Mmm, fugg." Ashton groaned.   
You immediately covered your mouth. You had to get out of here before Ashton woke up. You couldn't stand to have to talk to him after what happened last night. Who knows what he'd done for you. You couldn't remember a single thing that happened after he hugged you.  
Slowly, you crawled to the end of his bed and stepped softly onto the floor. You were just about to the door when you saw your dress crumpled in a ball near the opposite wall, just next to the headboard. You paid thirty dollars for that dress, you couldn't just leave it here. You might never see it again! Then again, you'd have to return Ashton's clothes at some point. The hem of his sweatpants pooled on the floor, his height really showing. His hoodie though, you didn't know if you wanted to give it back. It was so comfortable and warm. You could get lost inside of it.  
"Wait a second. How did I get these clothes on?" You didn't mean to say this aloud, but of course you did.   
"Hmm?" Ashton rolled over. He tried to sit up, but hit his head on the underside of his bead. "Oww..."  
"Go back to sleep. Go back to sleep." You whispered, turning to reach for the doorknob.  
"Y/N? Are you awake?"  
"Shit."  
He finally woke up a little and was able to stand up. "What are you doing over there? Are you leaving? I can walk you to your room."  
"I'm fine, Ashton. Thank you."  
"Y/N, wait." He met you at the door. "Are you sure you're okay? A lot happened last night. I could excuse you from class tomorrow if you need a break."  
"I really don't want anyone else to know. It's bad enough that you know."  
"Bad? Do you really think it's bad that I know? If I didn't know you could be... never mind. It would've been bad."  
"That's not what I meant and you know it! It's just embarrassing." You turned to look at him now. "Holy shit, Ashton. Your face!"  
"I just woke up. I wasn't really thinking about my face."  
"No... it's bruised. You need to get ice on that."  
"We aren't talking about me right now, Y/N. We're talking about you. This little bruise is nothing compared to what you went through last night."  
"Ashton, will you shut up and fucking listen to me? I am perfectly fine. My cheek stings a little and I'm seriously considering never going to a party ever again, but other than that I'm fine. You need ice."  
"Y/N, I-"  
"No. You took care of me last night, now it's my turn to take care of you. I'm getting you ice."   
You left Ashton standing there to seek out the ice. There was no one walking the halls. Everyone was probably too hung over to leave their rooms. There was an ice machine down the hall. You filled a cup full of ice, then another. You carried the two back to his room. He'd left the door sitting open just a crack.  
Ashton was sitting on his bed with his head in his arms. You took the cups of ice to him.  
"Ashton? Hold these for a second, please?"  
He looked at you, his eyes red and swollen. It looked as if he'd been crying. "Yeah," He choked out. "Of course."  
You pushed around some laundry on the floor until you found a t-shirt to wrap the ice in.  
"I wish you had a plastic bag in here somewhere."  
"There's a bag of groceries next to the fridge. You can just dump it on the floor. Why do you need a plastic bag?" He was quiet, no longer his upbeat self that you'd seen around campus.  
"For the ice. Here, dump the ice in the bag." He followed your directions. You wrapped the t-shirt around the bag now. Ashton watched your moves carefully, as if he was trying to memorize your movements. You lifted the makeshift ice pack and pressed it to his bruised jaw.  
Ashton hissed at the cold, but didn't push you away. Nor did he attempt to take over holding the ice. He let you hold one side of his face with your hand while you looked at the black and blue area.   
"He hit you really hard, didn't he?"  
"It's nothing."  
"It's awful. The mark is going to be there for weeks."  
"That bad, huh?" He grinned, but immediately winced and his face sobered. He looked down, his eyes glistening with tears.  
"What's wrong? Is it your jaw? Am I pressing to hard?" You pulled the ice away from his face, sure that you'd somehow managed to do yet another thing wrong.  
"No!" He shouted, pulling at your hand so the ice was once again at his face. "No, that's not what's wrong."  
"Then what?" You propped your elbow on your knee. You wanted to help Ashton as best you could after all he'd done for you. Even if that did mean letting him talk to you. You'd always had a knack for listening, and sometimes you could even find a way to help.  
"I'm scared."  
"Scared? Of what?"  
He shook his head, accidentally pushing the ice pack out of your hand and onto the bed. A few ice cubes spilled onto the bed, but Ashton pushed them to the floor. "Can I lay down? I'll lay on my right side so the ice stays on the left, I promise." He did so. You felt uncomfortable sitting at the end of the bed while Ashton was on his side, so you joined him. You laid down on your left side, facing the boy in the bed with you.  
"I'm scared of a lot of things. But right now I'm mostly scared of you."  
"Me? Why-?"  
"Just let me explain," He sighed. "I'm scared of you getting hurt. Last night reminded me that bad things do happen. I'm scared that you won't let anyone protect you, or you won't let anyone in long enough for them to be able to protect you. I'm scared that one day you'll disappear and I'll never get to see you run down the hallway when you're late to an early class, or watch you roll your eyes when Professor Nissen tells some dumb joke, or hear you laugh when you're in the lounge. You were never mine, and you never wanted to be...but I'm still afraid of losing you."  
Your neck was heating up, and you could feel a rush of color in your cheeks. Ashton had let his hand rest in the middle of the bed, not any closer to you than it was to himself. You took a deep breath and let your hand follow his, but it only barely brushed his fingertips.  
"So, when you said I wasn't just some girl in your hall? I was more than that?"  
"You were always more than that, Y/N. When I first met you I thought you were something special, and I was right," His hand overlapped yours, fingers intertwining slowly. "I haven't stopped trying to figure out how to get you to talk to me again. Last night, I was going to ask if we could be friends again. That's when I saw him take you. If I hadn't looked at that exact moment, I would've missed it. I would have never known where you'd gone. And that's..." His voice cracked again. "That's what scares me the most. That I might not have been able to save you."  
"But you did, Ashton. You did save me."  
"But what if I didn't."  
You moved just an inch closer to him, but it felt like a mile. "Life is too short to wonder about all of the what if's in the world."  
Ashton opened his mouth to reply, but you closed the gap. When your lips touched his he didn't fight it. He let his mouth fall slack for a moment, but suddenly seemed to remember what was happening. He pushed closer to you, his lips covering yours completely.   
"Oww..." He groaned into your mouth.  
"I won't kiss you if you whine the whole time," You whispered.  
"I can't take that chance, can I?"  
"That depends... do you actually believe that I could refrain from kissing you after that?"  
He shrugged. "I'll stop whining," Ashton promised.  
He pulled you closer and pressed his lips to yours again. With your free hand, the one not holding Ashton, you pulled your fingers through his thick, curly hair. Ashton pushed himself into you and hooked his leg around yours. He was practically on top of you by now. You can't remember the last time you had a boy on top of you, kissing you like his life depended on it. Except for...last night.  
You went stiff. Suddenly, all you could feel were your attacker's hands on your wrists and his tongue in your mouth. You pushed Ashton off of you and slid backwards until you fell off the bed.  
"Y/N? What's wrong? Was that too much? I'm so sorry, I... I should have asked. I should have known. I'm sorry. I'll stop."  
By now you were crying again. All you could think about were your attacker's fingers sliding up the inside of your legs.   
"I'm sorry, Ashton," You whimpered. "I have to go. I shouldn't have done that."  
"Y/N, wait!" It was too late. You were halfway out the door when he said, "Let's talk about it!"  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
You knocked on the door to your room. Your key must be somewhere in Ashton's room. You know you had it on you last night. No one answered. You knocked again. "Katie! Wake up!" Still no answer.  
You slid down the door and sat with your head in your hands. There was no way into your room until Katie arrived with the key. Who even knew if she would be coming back today. A door opened down the hall. You didn't look to see who it was. You cried into your arms, tears soaking Ashton's hoodie.   
A minute or two later footsteps found their way down the hall. A hand reached for your arm and you jerked away. "I'm sorry," Ashton whispered, placing the key in your hand and walking away.  
"Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are they going to actually get together soon, or what?

You couldn't face Ashton after that. He tried to talk to you in the hall, but you just kept running away. You wanted to be with him again. It felt like the right thing to do, until you thought of him touching you. You knew you should trust him not to hurt you, but for the first week...two weeks after the assault you couldn't trust anybody. You couldn't even begin to think about telling Katie what happened that night.   
It was hard to avoid Ashton. He was beginning to teach your Music Theory class more often. And on the Friday before Thanksgiving Break your conspiracy projects were set to begin.  
"We will work in pairs for this project," Ashton announced. "Since there is an uneven number in this class, one of you will have to work with me. I know, I know... everybody can cry now. I really mean it; you can cry now, because Professor Nissen chose the groups."  
Groans erupted in the room, more for dramatic effect than actual disappointment.   
He began listing the groups. You waited for your name to be called. With every pair that passed, you were closer and closer to being partnered with Ashton, and you didn't know if that was a bad thing or something you really really wanted.  
"And finally, Y/N will be with me." He looked down at the list again, then up at you. He rubbed his eyes, obviously nervous. "If, uh...if you have any problems with your groups see Professor Nissen and me. We'll see if we need to change anything. Class dismissed."  
Pairs began filing out of the room. The projects were due by Christmas as a part of our final. Ashton went directly up to the professor's desk. "This might not work."  
"Ashton, you know I can't just switch your partner for no reason. It's gotta be good."  
"Professor, she won't even talk to me in the hall. She runs away whenever I talk to her." You hadn't left the room yet. Actually, you'd been waiting for Ashton so you could talk to him. "She'll want to switch. Trust me."  
"Ashton," You said, walking up to him. "Do you want to get to work on the project?"  
"I think it's time for you to leave," Professor Nissen said. "Good luck, Ashton."  
Ashton stared at you in shock. "Really?"  
"Let's go." You took his arm so he'd follow you out of the room. He followed you out the door, down the hall and into the cool day outside. Ashton was stumbling along behind you as you pulled him farther from the building. You headed toward a secluded part of the park connected to campus. You had claimed a bench nestled between two small trees a few weeks ago.  
"What are we doing here? Y/N, why won't you talk to me?"  
The bench wasn't a part of your plan, so you stood face-to-face with Ashton. All of his questions would be answered soon enough. You pushed against his shoulders until his back rested against the trunk of the tree. Ashton sucked in a breath when you reached to look for the now non-existent bruise.   
"Can you feel it anymore?" You asked quietly.  
"No."  
You smiled. "Good." You planted a hand on each side of Ashton's face and brought him closer to you until your lips collided. He wasn't as startled as you'd expected him to be. His arms immediately wrapped around your torso, as if it were a natural instinct. His lips molded perfectly to yours. You pulled away before he could really kiss back.  
"Is this a habit of yours?" Ashton asked through lidded eyes and slightly puckered lips. "Acting like you can't stand me and then kissing me?"  
"This is the last time, I promise."  
"Kissing me? I don't think that's a fair deal."  
"I mean acting like I hate you. I've realized recently that I'm an awful actor. I took you here because I wanted to tell you...I don't regret kissing you the first time, and I don't regret doing it again. Besides, I definitely won't regret doing it in the future."  
"What made you change your mind?"  
"You. I like you, Ashton, and you know it. If I hated you, you wouldn't have been able to get to me like this. Last time it was just too soon, but now... I'm ready."  
"Ready? Like, you're going to let me kiss you again? Whenever I want?"  
You shrugged. "Whenever you want to, whenever I want to... what's the difference?"  
He grinned at you. You hadn't seen that grin cross his lips in such a long time you almost forgot what it looked like. "Now?"  
"Now," You agreed.  
Ashton spun you around so he could press your back against the tree as you'd done to him. You let his tongue travel past your lips. Your fingers hooked through his belt loops and you pulled him closer. He smiled into your mouth and took this as an invitation. Ashton's lips wandered to your jaw line, where he left wet kisses. A trail of marks wound their way down your neck until warm lips sucked on your collarbone. You pulled back on Ashton's hair, forcing him to look up at you. You leaned into him, biting at his bottom lip. He groaned and took your hands in his.  
"Let's go..." Ashton whined, pulling you back the way you'd came. "I don't want to make out in a park."  
"Me either, let's go... get started on that project."  
He pouted. His nose crinkled up and his eyebrows drew together. He pressed his forehead to yours. "I don't wanna."  
"But we have to..." You retaliated.  
"Can't we start after we get back from break? I definitely won't be able to get anything done today."  
You sighed, "If you insist."  
\-------------------------------------------------------------  
Your entire hall was dead-quiet the next morning. The entire university got the week off for Thanksgiving, and everyone had went home last night. All except you. Your family lived far across the country and you would only be able to afford one trip home during the year. Thanksgiving, your mother had so blatantly pointed out, was much less important than Christmas. That was to be the day you came home.  
Since you were alone in the building, save for the front desk staff, you felt no shame in sprinting from bathroom in nothing but a towel after your shower. The bathroom was around the corner from your room, and you didn't exactly bother to look where you going before taking the corning. You ran into a solid force that nearly pushed you to the ground.  
"Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going," You apologized.  
"I know we're dating now and everything, but don't you think it's a bit too soon for me to see you in a towel?"  
"Ashton? What are you doing here?" You pulled your towel around you tighter.  
He held up a large brown bag. "Laundry!" He said, more excitedly than was probably necessary. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd go home for Thanksgiving."  
"I can't afford it, why didn't you go home?"  
"Can't afford it. Australia, remember? We don't celebrate Thanksgiving obviously, so it wasn't worth it to go home for a week."  
"Are we the only people left in the building?"  
"As far as I've noticed. Why, do you have something in mind?" Ashton said with a smirk.  
Your face turned red. "No! I mean, it's just cool to have an empty building. We could do anything we wanted."  
"Anything?"  
"Ashton!" You slapped his arm. "I bet the game room is completely empty."  
"Wanna go? We can do...anything." He smiled again, taking pride in teasing you.  
"Only if I can get dressed first!"  
"Damn, I was hoping you'd wear that the rest of the day. "  
"Hmm... I think not." You kissed him on the cheek. "Go do your laundry and I'll meet you in the game room in fifteen minutes."  
"That's too long," He whined.  
"You've waited this long, haven't you?" You replied, brushing a bit of hair out of his face. He still had tired eyes, and his hair was flat and mussed from sleep.   
"Yeah, and I don't want to wait any longer."  
"Ten minutes," You compromised. "The sooner you go, the sooner I can get over there."  
Ashton gave you a quick peck on the lips, then walked backwards until you were out of sight. You hadn't really planned on anyone being around today. Even now that you and Ashton were a thing, neither of you had told the other that you were staying on campus for the holiday.  
All of this meant one thing. You and Ashton were going to spend the entire day together, possibly even the entire week, while the rest of the student body was visiting home.  
"That was eleven minutes," Ashton announced when you finally arrived in the game room. He'd already gotten the music blaring, the TV on, and the lights dimmed. He was lounging on a couch that faced the TV, but he was looking at you. "What do you wanna do first?"  
"What's your favorite thing to do in here?"  
"I have to admit," He said, wandering over to the pool table. "I'm a boss at pool. I bet I could beat you with my eyes closed."  
"How much?" You asked, leaning over the table to turn on the light.  
"You want to bet?" He raised his eyebrows.  
"Loser buys lunch."  
"Too easy," Ashton countered. "This has to be high stakes. Otherwise, it's no fun."  
"Loser buys lunch...and has to clean the other's room."  
He grinned, finally satisfied. "You're on."  
You let Ashton rack it up, while you found the sticks and a small, overused block of chalk. When Ashton had the balls all lined up you tossed him a stick, which he promptly caught in mid-air.  
You broke, and Ashton snickered at your poor technique.  
"Go on! Prove yourself. I want to see this amazing badass-ness that you supposedly possess."  
He certainly did prove it to you. He sunk a stripe with no effort at all, except there was one problem. He left himself with no shot to follow-up, which consequently left you with the perfect shot. You sunk three in a row, and Ashton stared at you in shock.  
"You hustled me!" He laughed. "You little cheater!" He tried to chase you around the table, but you didn't fall for it. You stopped him dead in his tracks with arms on his shoulder and a little peck on his nose.  
"I never said anything about me being bad at pool. You just overestimated your chances." You sidled past him, dragging your hand across his stomach as you did. "Your shot, babe." You shoved him back to the other side of the table.  
Ashton made his next shot and the one after that, but you made your next few shots, too. Every time he thought he'd caught up, you pulled ahead again. As the game neared the end, Ashton had one ball left, save for the "8" ball. Whereas you had only the "8" ball. He could still win the game theoretically, but it was your shot and the ball was perfectly aligned. You aimed, shot, and sunk the ball. You'd won the game.  
Ashton stood silently at the end of the table. "I can't believe it. I haven't lost a game of pool in four years," He said quietly, still staring at the near empty table. "Where did you learn to play so well?"  
"We had a pool table in my basement. My dad and I used to play a lot." Ashton just shook his head. For a moment you thought he might even cry, that's how upset he was about losing. You walked up behind him and wrapped your arms around his waist. "What are you buying me for lunch?" You asked with a kiss to his neck.   
Suddenly, Ashton spun around and grabbed your shoulders. "Best two out of three? Please, please, please!"  
"I don't know if you can take that kind of failure again," You teased.   
"C'mon. Please?"  
"You owe me."  
"I'll make it up to you!" He immediately let go and began to rack up the balls again. Following the rules of fair-play, you got to break again. This game took a bit longer, and Ashton played a lot more defense. His concentration worked to his advantage, because this time he won. By the time of the final game neither of you spoke anything other than smack-talk.   
"Were you even trying that time?" "Wrong ball, Sweetheart." "You didn't seriously mean to do that, did you?" "  
Ashton tried his best to distract you from the game, but you pushed the thought of his toned, tan body out of your mind. His beautiful brown-green eyes staring at you from across the table had no affect you. Well, mostly no affect.  
You took your aim on the winning shot. One more ball to sink and you got a free lunch and a clean room. You pull back, prepared to hit when Ashton shouts, "You're gonna miss!" You jump a little, but hit the ball anyway. You don't hit as hard as planned, but the ball still rolled toward the pocket. It teetered on the edge...and fell in.  
"Dammit! Fuck shit!" Ashton shouted.  
"Ha!" You dropped the pool stick and jumped up on the couch. "Fuck yeah! Take that, Sweetheart," You teased.   
"Did you just call me...?"  
"Sweet... heart!"  
"Oh no you didn't!" Ashton shot around the corner of the table and came barreling towards you. He jumped at the end of the couch and collided with you midair. You landed in a heap on the large, over-stuffed cushions. "I'm not sweetheart, you're sweetheart!" Ashton giggled as he wrapped his arms around your stomach and rolled onto his back.  
You pushed yourself onto your elbows. Ashton's hands were now only lightly resting on your hips. "Why can't you be sweetheart?"  
"Because I'm babe," He grinned.  
"We're both babe, doofus," You replied, letting yourself sink into his arms once more.  
"Then I'm doofus... and you're sweetheart. Deal?"  
"Deal...for now. We'll come up with better nicknames soon, but first... what are you buying me for lunch?"  
Ashton groaned. "Well, what do you want for lunch?"  
You shrugged, though you knew exactly what you wanted. "Delivery? I'm craving pizza."  
"You make this too easy for me." He said, just a touch of a smile on his voice. "I'll order, but let's go back to your room."  
"Mine?"  
"Ashton's Cleaning Service, at your command." He replied, standing and helping you off the couch. "Let's go."  
Ashton cleaned as you waited for the pizza to arrive, but the bet really worked more in his favor than yours. If he found a piece of clothing on the floor, he'd simply open a drawer and throw it in no questions asked, any school supplies were sprawled across the desk, and God-forbid he find any personal items lying around. Then he became a 16-year-old boy again.  
"Ooh, what are these?" He said, holding up a pair of lacy underwear. "Does your mother know you own these?"  
"Ashton! Put that away... no, in the hamper, please." You sighed as he flung the underwear across the room slingshot fashion. "And no, my mother does not know I own those. I buy my own underwear, thank you very much."  
"Well, I like them."  
"Shut up..." Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Pizza! Go pay so I can chow down. I'm starved."  
Ashton tossed another pair of underwear at you, but walked to the door anyhow. He was still pulling his wallet out of his pocket when he opened the door. "How much?"  
"Ashton? Is it really you?" The girl with the pizza cooed. "It's been ages!"  
"Um...Cassidy. Hi, I forgot you worked at the pizza place."  
"Yep! Just a little over a year now." She walked into your room, setting the pizza on Katie's bed. "How have you been? I haven't seen you around campus."  
"Actually, Cassidy... I'm a little busy right-"  
"I didn't think you'd still be living in the dorms. That's a little odd for a senior, isn't it?"  
You coughed. "Um, hello?"  
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." This girl, Cassidy, finally took a look around the room. "I get it! This must be your room, right? It doesn't really look like Ashton's style now that I think about it. It smells too...fruity."  
"Cassidy, please. How much do I owe?"  
"Twelve and... thirteen cents."   
Ashton handed over a ten and three ones. "Keep the change. Thank you."  
"Hey, Ashton." She said before Ashton could shut the door. "Call me sometime, yeah?"  
He shut the door in her face, not taking the time to reply. He turned around and pulled the pizza off of Katie's bed carrying it to yours for you to share. His face was red, as if he were embarrassed. You took a bite of pizza as you watched him, but he wouldn't make eye contact.  
"Ashton?" No reply. "Ashton!"  
"What?" He mumbled, mouth full of pizza.  
"What's wrong with you?"  
"What do you mean?"  
You glared. Why did boys act so dumb sometimes?  
"Oh, you mean... Cassidy. We, uh... we met last year."  
"Seemed like you did more than just meet..." His face turned red again. "Ashton, I'm not mad, if that's what you think."  
"It's not that, it's just...I regret it."  
"It? You mean you...?"  
"No! God, no... I'm not really that kind of person. Despite what we did have, we weren't in love. I wouldn't...I mean, I couldn't do that if I wasn't in love."  
"So...what's the problem then?"  
"Nothing really... she just surprised me. For a long time after I broke off whatever it was that we were, she was really mad. She would follow me around campus. Over the summer I thought I'd gotten rid of her, but no! She's still here, and she's trying to get me again."  
"Don't worry, Ashton. I'll fight for you." You gave him a peck on the cheek.  
"Really?" He giggled. "Like, nobody's ever done anything like that for me before."  
You punched his arm. "Shut up, just hurry and eat so you can clean my room some more."  
"Aw, can't I be done yet?"  
"Nope, get back to work!" You pushed Ashton, trying to get him off your bed, but he refused to move. "This room isn't going to clean itself."  
"Fine, fine..." Ashton grabbed an armful of clothing and pushed it under the bed.  
"Hey! That is not cleaning, that's...stashing."  
"Details, details." He replied, waving you off. "Hey, what's this? Is this my sweatshirt?" Ashton held up an oversized hoodie to his nose and took a huge whiff. "I can't believe you stole my favorite hoodie! What did you do to it? It's smells all girly and perfumey..."  
"About that..." You puffed out a laugh. "I kinda forgot that was your to be honest. That was the one you gave me back on Halloween. I found it on my floor a few days later and it was comfy. I didn't really bother trying to figure out where it came from."  
"If you ask nicely I might let you keep it."   
"Actually, now that I think about it... you still have something of mine too!"  
"Y/N, you know I can't fit into your clothes. What could I possibly have that's yours?"  
"My Halloween costume, dumbass." You replied, standing up. "I never got it back."  
"You don't need it for another year anyhow...what's the rush?"  
"There is no rush... I just want to go to your room." You answered with a smile. This was probably the most forward you'd ever been but, in a way, it felt good to be so honest.  
"But...it's dirty and stinky. It's much prettier in here."  
"But it's all yours. You don't have to share with anyone."  
"Your point?"  
"It's more, I don't know, private? Look, I'll let you stop cleaning if we can just go hang out in your room now."  
"Deal!" Ashton shouted. He grabbed you around the waist and lifted you over his shoulder. You watched your room disappear behind you. Ashton almost left the door wide open, but you stopped him so you could swing the door shut. When he'd walked the short distance to his single-occupancy room, he threw you down on his twin-sized bed and fell down next to you.  
"So..." Ashton whispered. "What are we going to do with this newfound privacy?"  
You smiled. "I have a few ideas." You pulled Ashton closer to you until he rolled on top of you. His lips met yours, pressing forward, but pulling back every so often. Every time he pulled back you lifted yourself to follow, not willing to let him stop kissing you.  
"I like your ideas." Ashton said, pulling completely away for just a moment. As soon as he finished speaking he lowered his lips to your neck. You held him there and let your hands rest in his hair. You laid with your head on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. You couldn't think of anything other than Ashton's teeth biting into your skin, and his tongue soothing the marks he left.  
You let your hands slide down Ashton's back. You pulled lightly at the hem of his shirt, tugging it up as far as you could. You rested your hands on the bare skin of his back, dragging your fingernails over the soft skin. "Remind me why we didn't get together sooner..."  
Ashton lifted his head to look you in the eye. He placed a short kiss on your lips as he rested his forehead against yours. "That's all on you, babe. I've been trying to get you to go out with me for three months."  
"Sorry." You laughed. "I guess we'll have to make up for lost time."  
He grinned. "Damn right!" Ashton's lips pushed roughly against yours. He gave you no chance to take a breath as he pushed his body even closer to yours. You let him do whatever he wanted. All you cared about was his warm body pressing heavily against yours.  
You curled your legs around Ashton's and pressed your hands to his chest. Without warning you pushed up on him, rolling you into opposite positions. You now straddled your boyfriends hips and took pleasure in letting your body rest, finally, on top of his.  
"You don't wanna start this game, Y/N." He said, his eye dark and flirting.  
"What game is that, Ashton?"   
"This one!" He pulled the same move you'd used on him, rolling over once again, only to bang his elbow into the wall as he did so. "Shit! Who put that wall there?"  
"I guess it's hard to do too much fooling around on a twin-sized bed, isn't it?" You said with a laugh as Ashton fell onto his back next to you.  
"Nah," He said. "Kidding around is hard on a twin-sized bed. Fooling around would be easy on any bed, or even no bed at all."  
"Are you saying you've had sex on the ground?"  
"Personally, I think standing is a better choice. Carpet is too rough and tile is too cold for sex."  
Your face turned bright red. "Oh, my God. I can't believe we're talking about sex positions!" You laughed, rolling on your side so Ashton couldn't see your embarrassment. "Let's move on to something else."  
"Nope, the conversation has begun, and I plan to finish it." He pulled on your shoulder so you would face him again.  
"What more could possibly be said?"  
"What's your favorite position?"  
"What the fuck?" You shouted, covering your face with your hands. "I am not answering that question!"  
"Why not? I'll tell you mine!" He giggled. "Come on..."  
"I can't!" You laughed again. How did this make-out session get so off track?  
"I mean I'm no expert, but I think it all depends on the circumstance. If it's after a romantic dinner or something it's gotta be more traditional."  
"Stop..." You groaned, giggles still rolling through your body.  
"In that case you'd have to go missionary, am I right?"  
"Whatever, Ashton."  
"Now, at any other time doggie-style is definitely my position of choice."  
"Could you please shut up about this? It's not high on my list of things I want to be doing right now..." You interrupted, fiddling with the fabric of Ashton's shirt.  
"I'll shut up once you tell me." He said, wrapping an arm around you and pulling your body against his. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."  
"Wanna bet?" You mumbled under your breath.  
"Hey...what's wrong? Do you really not want to talk about this? Or do you just not want to tell me?"  
"It's not like I don't want to tell you... I just can't."  
"What do you mean, you can't?" Ashton brushed a bit of hair out of your eyes successfully making you feel completely pathetic. "What's really the problem here?"  
"Ashton...I don't want to say it."  
"Well, I'm not going to force you, but I can't just guess."  
You sighed. "It's just that I'm a, um... I haven't ever...you know."  
"Had sex?"  
You looked up into his eyes and shrugged slightly. Saying it out loud made you feel like such a...a freshman. As if you didn't already feel the three year age gap between you and Ashton.  
"Y/N, I don't care if you're a virgin. That's something to be proud of, especially at your age. I'll let you in on a secret...if you're up for it, that is."  
"What?"   
"I lost my virginity when I was nineteen. It was the summer after my freshman year."  
"What's your point? I'm only eighteen."  
"My point is that you still have a choice. See, you can choose to have sex at eighteen, or nineteen, or even twenty. Whatever you want! It's not a competition, but if it was you still have, what is it...three weeks to beat me?"  
You smiled, it wasn't a competition, but he might've just made it one. "Yeah, about three weeks."  
He smiled now, kissing your lips. "And now back to previously scheduled programming..." He took your hands in his and pressed them into the mattress, one either side of your head and returned his lips to yours.  
"You do realize something, don't you?" You asked, amidst Ashton's peppering of kisses.  
"What?" He replied, breathing heavily and kissing down to your chest.  
"You just challenged me to a virginity competition, and I don't plan on losing."  
"Somehow, I just don't think there's a loser in this situation."  
You smirked. "We'll see."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, you get to meet some new characters!

You awoke to a knock at your door. The light from your clock caught your eye. It was ten in the morning. Not your ideal wake-up time on a Sunday morning, but you had a feeling it was Ashton knocking at the door. After your late night with him last night, you had to admit you were looking forward to spending more time with him.  
"Y/N, wake up. I have big plans for the day." He knocked again. "It's me, Ashton. I tried texting you, but you never replied." A pause. "Y/N? WAKE UP!" He suddenly shouted.  
"Mmm up." You groaned.   
"Y/N!"  
"I'M UP!" You shouted. "SHUT UP!"  
You rolled over, taking a little time to rub the sleep out of your eyes. On the other side of the door, you could hear a faint voice. As you crawl towards the door, the words become more clear.   
"The sun will come out TOMORROW! Bet your bottom dollar that-"  
"Why the hell are you singing?" You asked, opening the door.  
"Why the hell are you sitting on the floor?"  
"Touché." You replied. "I happened to just wake up, for your information. Mornings don't agree with me."  
"Do they agree with anyone?"  
"Touché again." Ashton helps you stand up and walks you back to your bed. "So, what are your big plans?"  
"It's a secret, but let's just say…it'll be the date of the year. A date to end all dates! A date for all those we have missed. It's ten dates in one! It's-"  
"I think I get the point, Ashton. I just want to know what I should wear. Casual? Formal? A mix of both?"  
"Whatever you like is fine. It's not like we're broadcasting our lives to the world."  
"Well, are you wearing that?" You asked, gesturing to his black skinny jeans and plaid shirt.  
"Uh, yeah?"  
"Good." You replied with a smile. You opened the curtains to your closet and dug through your drawers. You found your black skinny jeans with ease. What was more difficult was picking out a shirt.  
"Ooh, pick that one!" Ashton pointed to a red flannel jacket.  
You pulled the jacket off its hangar and threw it onto your bed. You followed with the black tee that had been hanging under the jacket. "Perfect. Now, turn around."  
"Turn aro-?" You put your hands on Ashton's shoulders and forcefully turned him toward the wall. "Oh."  
You pulled off your pajama top. "Now don't you turn around now." You looked over your shoulder quickly and found Ashton peeking over his shoulder. "Hey!"  
Ashton giggled. "Sorry."  
"Don't make me put you in time out, Ashton."  
"You know, my friends call me Ash."  
You walked up behind him now, letting him see you, now fully dressed. "But I'm not your friend, Ashton. I'm your girlfriend."  
"Well, that's true, but you can call me Ash if you want."  
"I like Ashton. Let's go!" You linked your arm with Ashton's and encouraged him to lead the way.  
"Don't mind if I do."  
Ashton first brought you to a coffee shop downtown. He held your hand across the table and nudged at your foot with his as you each sipped your drinks. As the morning turned into afternoon, Ashton walked hand in hand with you down Main Street. The city was alive with sounds. There was the ringing of bells above shop doors, a slow stream of Sunday traffic, and the occasional flock of birds flying above. Best of all, however, were the sounds of music traveling down the street from where a herd of musicians were gathered at the city park.  
You pointed this out to Ashton, and he gladly went to the music filled park with you. Different groups were gathered all across the park. You first walked past a man with an acoustic guitar wearing a cowboy hat and boots. Next, there was a trio of tattoo-covered, black-clad girls with electric guitars screaming out lyrics that you couldn't understand. There was such a diverse atmosphere as you passed all different sorts of artists.  
At the center of the park was a small pond. A deck leading up to the pond had been taken over by a group of three guys. They were busy setting up, and Ashton squeezed your hand slightly.  
"I'm going to stop at the restroom. Wait here for me?"  
"Of course." You smiled, leaving Ashton with kiss on the lips.  
You watched the trio set up. There was a line of three stools with a small wooden box at the end of the line. One of the boys on the makeshift stage, the one with the dark hair, plugged a bass guitar into an amp and sat upon one of the stools. Next, the one with the red hair grabbed an acoustic guitar and sat on the stool on the opposite end. Finally, a blonde-haired boy sat on the middle stool, bringing with him a microphone and stand along with another guitar.  
You still weren't sure why they'd left that box just sitting there. It didn't look like it had any sort of use. Ashton surely should be back now. This group looked like the kind of group he might enjoy, and you didn't want him to miss it. You turned to look towards the restroom, and when you turned back there was another curly-haired boy sitting on the wooden box.  
Ashton smiled at you and waved. He counted off and suddenly music filled the air again. You listened in awe. You had no idea Ashton was in a band, and you were amazed that he'd planned the day so well that he'd gotten here in time to play a set.  
When they had finished their set, Ashton left the other three boys to clean up and found you in the small crowd that had formed. He grabbed both of your hands and wrapped them around his waist. He, in turn, wrapped his arms around you and kissed you on the lips. He pressed in close to you as he ignored the crowd around you. When he finally let his lips slide away from yours, he still didn't let go of you.  
"Did you like it?"  
"What, you mean that amazing band that just played?" You teased. "Yeah, you totally missed a great show. I think I might have the hots for the drummer."  
"Well that's fortunate, because I think he has the hots for you too."  
Ashton kissed you again, just quickly, before guiding you towards the rest of the band.  
"Y/N, this is Calum." Ashton introduced, leading you to the dark-haired one.  
"Bassist." He said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you, Y/N."  
The boy with the colorful hair snuck up behind Calum. "Hi, I'm Michael!" He slid a hand under Calum's arm and took yours, shaking it. His hands were sweaty.  
"Nice to meet you both. I wasn't even sure Ashton actually had friends. He certainly never said he was in a band!"  
"Are you embarrassed of us?" Michael said. He wrapped his arm around Ashton's shoulder and pulled him away.  
The blonde one was packing up his guitar, not yet joining the group.   
"Hey!" Ashton shouted, pulling out of Michael's grasp. "Instead of being annoying, why don't you go grab Luke? I want him to meet Y/N."  
Michael sighed, pushing Ashton back in your direction. "Lukey! Your boyfriend wants you!"  
"Fuck off, Michael…" Ashton replied, shaking his head and grabbing your hand once again.  
Michael first helped the blonde one, Luke, finish packing up and then led him over to you.  
"Luke!" Ashton said, smiling. "This is Y/N, my girlfriend."  
"Damn, Ashton." Luke said, a lot quieter than his band mates. "You always do find the prettiest girls."  
Calum elbowed him and Luke winced. "What?"  
"You're making Ashton sound like… you know." He whispered.  
"O-Kay!" Ashton said. He took your hand, starting to walk the both of you away. "Thanks for taking care of my stuff guys! See you later!"  
You didn't talk to Ashton as you both walked back the way you'd come. Finally, Ashton spoke again.  
"None of them have girlfriends. I don't think they know how to act around girls."  
"They seemed very nice, Ashton."  
"Really? Because they can be sort of…overbearing. I mean, Michael's obnoxious, Luke doesn't have a filter, and Calum's just… Calum."  
"You remember Katie, right?" He nodded. "She is the definition of overbearing. Don't worry about it." Neither of you said anything for a second. "What are we doing next?"  
Ashton smiled. "Let's go."  
\------------------------------------------------------  
The next week was filled with spontaneous dates. A lunch date, ice-cream in the park, roller skating at night, and of course passionate make-out sessions in the middle of the night. It wasn't every night that Ashton would sneak to your door and wake you up, but when he did you could only act angry for so long.  
The first night it happened, Ashton knocked on your door at three in the morning. "Are you awake?"  
You groaned. What was with this boy? "No."  
"Y/N…" He whined. "Let me in."  
"I don't wanna…" You replied, covering your head with a pillow.  
"Please?"  
You reluctantly rolled out of bed and stumbled to the door. When you opened it, Ashton stood there in nothing but a pair of athletic shorts. He smiled at you, and before you could talk he leaned into you. He captured your lips with his, letting his hands wander down your sides until he gripped your thighs. He pushed you back to your bed until your legs hit the edge. You fell onto the bed, crawling under the covers and daring Ashton to follow.  
Ashton joined you on the bed. He pulled the blanket over your heads as you brought his lips to yours once again. Legs intertwined, hands roaming skin, breath mingling. Ashton's lips began to wander. He sucked a hickey at the base of your neck, but he didn't stop there. As your hands swept through his hair, Ashton's lips traveled farther than ever before. He went past your collarbone and kissed down to your chest.  
You were disappointed when he pulled away from your hot skin. You could feel him moving around, his body was hovering over yours, but you couldn't see him. You reached out for him, pulling his lips back to yours.   
"Y/N?" He whispered. Ashton pulled his lips away from yours, and he let his hand rest on your cheek as his fingers drew shapes on your temple.  
"Yeah?"  
"I just, I wanted to tell you…"  
Your heart was beating rapidly. You set your hands on Ashton's waist and pulled him closer to you. "What?"  
"I really, really like you."  
You smiled, as if you didn't already know this. "Ashton, you crawled into my bed, shirtless, in the middle of the night to make-out with me. Are you sure you just like me?"  
"Well, I uh… I know what I wanted to say. I didn't know if you wanted me to say it, though." You could tell he was nervous. His heart was beating quickly, and his breath was short.  
"You can say it." When he stayed silent you kissed him quickly on the lips. "I want you to. Please?"  
"Y/N, I…" He took a deep breath. "I love you."  
"And I love you, Ashton."  
Suddenly, Ashton pulled the blanket off your heads, and you could see his face. He was grinning ear to ear. "Really? You do?"  
"Yes, I do."  
"That's such great news!" Ashton rolled over you, pulling you on top of him as he rolled onto his back. You knocked your elbow on the wall. "God, I'm sorry!"  
You were just giggling. "I forgot how small these beds were."  
"Okay, okay… I get it." He laughed. "No goofing around, just fooling around."  
You punched Ashton's shoulder. "No more tonight." You requested, and you let your body go slack on top of his. "I need to sleep."  
"Yeah…" He sighed, letting a yawn fall from his mouth. "I'll let you sleep." Ashton shifted beneath you and eased himself out from under you.  
"No." You grumbled. Ashton's skin was so soft and warm against yours, and you just weren't willing to let that go yet. "Stay." You buried your head into his neck and breathed in his scent. You didn't have to tell him twice. Ashton settled beneath you and one arm found its way around your waist.   
You fell asleep to the sound of traffic quietly passing by and the beat of Ashton's heart next to yours. "I love you." Ashton whispered again. "Wow, I'm so glad I can just say that now."  
"Ashton…" He hummed in response. "I love you, too…but you need to go to sleep."  
"Okay…I love you. Good night."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess you have to do some schoolwork. You can't make out with your boyfriend all day every day! No matter how hard you try...

Classes started all too soon, and your week alone with Ashton came to an end. It occurred to you on the first day that students began arriving back at the dorms that Ashton may not be allowed to date a student within his dorm. You were in his room when you brought this up to him.  
"Is this against the rules?" You asked. You were sitting on the small couch in the room, watching a movie on Netflix. Ashton had his arm around your shoulder and his lips just barely resting against your head.   
"What? Watching a movie on a Sunday night? Or just touching in general?"  
"I mean… are we allowed to date? Will you get fired for this?"  
"Where is this coming from? It's been a week, and you haven't brought this up at all."  
"I guess it's because we were alone. When Katie asked me where I was going tonight I felt like I couldn't tell her."  
"Did you?" Ashton asked. He removed his arm from around you, but pulled your legs over his as he turned to face you.  
"No. I told her I was going to work on a project."  
Ashton really wasn't getting your point. He might not have thought about this, but you were really worried that by dating you he would lose his job.   
"You don't have to worry about anything, Y/N."  
"But, aren't there any rules about dating any of your residents? There have to be rules, Ashton."  
"Y/N…" He set his hands on your shoulders, calming you down. "I run nearly this whole level. I own this hall. We aren't going to have any problems."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. I mean, it might be frowned upon, but I don't remember any strict rules about this kind of thing."  
"Ashton!" You shouted. "You are totally avoiding all of my questions! There are rules, aren't there?" He just shrugged. "Aren't there!?"  
"Well, yeah…" He replied nonchalantly. "But it's not about dating in particular. We're not supposed to be in residents' rooms for any reason unless they're suspected to be breaking a university rule. And we're technically not supposed to have any sort of sexual relations with residents."  
"Wow…that's totally nothing. Not even relevant to us at all!" You joked, though on the inside you were a little scared. "It's not like you spent all last night sleeping in my room or anything… and yeah the whole 'sexual relations' thing is not at all a problem!"  
"Hey, you have to admit, it's really not a problem. Making out isn't exactly in that category. It's not like we've gone any farther than that…"  
"Yet!" You replied. You realized you were bordering on shouting… but at this point you didn't really care. "It's not a problem yet, Ashton. But you know as well as I do that it will be."  
Ashton grinned now and ran his fingers down the sides of your legs. "Is that a threat… or a promise?"  
"I'm serious…" You sighed, exasperated. You pushed Ashton's hands away from you.  
"Me too." Ashton took your hands and forced you to face him. "Trust me. This is not a problem. Like I said, I basically own this hall. I'm in charge here."  
"Wow, you're humble." You replied, but finally gave into him. You curled into his side and let him wrap himself around you once again. "So there really is nothing to worry about then?"  
"Not a thing. Just…don't go telling everyone about us. That could cause some issues."  
You smiled up at him and reached to pull his body closer to yours. "It's more fun to keep you my little secret anyway."  
Ashton took your hint and rolled his body on top of yours. He pressed your foreheads together and slowly let his lips fall onto yours. He didn't press too hard. Slowly, Ashton worked his lips over yours. Hands travel down your back to the waistband of your jeans. Ashton hooked his thumbs under your waistband and the rest of his fingers followed.  
"Mmm…" You moaned. "Ashton."  
"Sorry," His lips stopped for a short moment as he began to pull his hands back.  
"No…stay."  
"As you wish."  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------  
The holiday season brought a mix of excitement and stress. Late into the night doors were open and students were milling about, looking for help on upcoming finals. Luckily, this made it easier for you to sneak over to Ashton's room at night. It wasn't all fun and games for the two of you. Your music theory project was due at the end of the week, just before Winter Break began, and you hadn't even begun it yet.  
"Ashton, we seriously need to work on this. Stop!" You were perched on Ashton's bed, while he paced around the room. All of a sudden, Ashton placed a hand on your ass and squeezed. "Ashton!"  
"I can't help it!" He replied, laying down beside you. "You're distracting me!"  
"What the hell am I doing?" You asked.  
"You're just…laying there." He groaned. Ashton's large hand rubbed your back, moving farther and farther down your back until he was sneaking his hand down the back of your pants.  
"I apologize for doing a perfectly normal, non-sexual things." You didn't push his hands away, but figured he may actually listen and work with you if he could be touching you in some way. "You're the genius in this relationship, and I need you to help me with this project."  
"But you're the student in the class."  
"Not a valid argument." You said. "You were partnered with me, so you have to pull your weight."  
"But I-"  
"The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can do other things."  
"But I wanna do other things now!" He whined like a child.  
"Two hours. We will work on this for two hours tonight, then we can be done. Okay?"  
He gave in after that, knowing by now that you were not letting him out of this. You had four days left to finish this project, unless you wanted to fail the class. The two of you moved to Ashton's couch with your laptops. Ashton let his arm rest over your shoulder as he typed something into the search bar. You had no idea where to start.  
"What type of project are we doing?" Ashton asked suddenly.  
"Like..what do you mean?"  
"Slideshows are overdone. Speeches are boring. We need something different and a little challenging."  
You thought for a moment, when you thought of your favorite project from high school. "We could make a video! Once we choose our topic we could remake the theory as a sort of skit-meets-documentary type of thing."  
"Wow…" Ashton said, unblinking.  
"That bad, huh?"  
He shook his head. "My girlfriend…is a genius! That's the best idea I've ever heard!" He put a hand at the back of your neck and pulled you towards him. He pressed his lips hastily over yours. It was tempting to let him continue, but you knew how much work a video would take, so you pushed him away.  
"An hour and fifty minutes to go." You explained.  
Ashton sighed, but went back to his computer. You opened a Word document on yours, and titled it Conspiracy Video. You peeked over Ashton's shoulder as he dug deeper into Google and got lost in the long list of sources.  
The days went on like this. You and Ashton were freely walking the campus together as you created your project. Ashton was the most comfortable on screen, so you became the camerawoman while he played various parts on your mock-documentary. It was much more fun than either of you imagined. You transformed into the perfect, most eccentric director by buying a beret and a large plastic megaphone at a thrift store. You also couldn't help but wear your blazer each time you went out to film.  
Ashton, however, had to cover a myriad of characters. He played Michael Jackson as our main focus character but also wore a white jacket as a "doctor", an old tweed jacket as a "historian", and crisp button up as a "talent scout." The last one got to you a little. It was hard for you to resist your boyfriend in a tight button up shirt when you knew how easy it would be to get it off of him.  
It was late Thursday night and Ashton was sure the project was finished. You were sitting at his desk, still editing small bits of the video. Ashton was sprawled on the floor behind you. He kept whining at you to lay by him. You had to admit, it was tempting. It was approaching one o'clock in the morning and you were slowly losing your resolve.  
"It has to be perfect Ashton. You can go to bed if you want. I'll finish this." You turned to look at him, and he was laying on his back with his head upside-down and eyes peering at you.   
"I'm not going to bed without you." He pouted. He rolled onto his knees and crawled next to you where he let his head rest on your thigh. "How much longer?"  
"An hour, maybe?"  
"What if I help?" He asked. You felt his smile form on your leg.  
"Then it will probably be two."  
"Am I really that useless?"  
"No, Ashton. You can be helpful just by sitting there looking cute." He turned his head to face you. His ever-growing hair brushed your arm and you giggled. "And don't tickle me! That won't help."  
"Whoops…sorry."  
It was two hours before you finally finished the project. Ashton was too impatient to allow you to work in peace. He bit your leg first, at one o'clock. At one thirty he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you off the chair. You landed in a heap on top of him until he rolled over you and pinned you to the floor. What ensued was especially time consuming. You tried to pull away from Ashton's hungry lips. He wouldn't give in though, so you let him kiss you…and kiss you and kiss you. When two thirty came around, you were able to pry yourself from his sleeping form and finish the project.  
You left him with a kiss on the forehead and returned to your own room. You needed to get your sleep for the final day of Music Theory. And neither you nor Ashton needed the distraction of each other to interfere with your sleep.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Where are you headed off to so early?" Katie said to you the next morning. She was lying perfectly still in bed, her eyes only now peeking open.  
"You scared the shit out of me Katie. I thought you were sleeping."  
"I was, but not anymore. Not with your morning routine. Shower, teeth brushing, blow dryer. It's ridiculous really."  
You rolled your eyes, though you knew she couldn't see you. "I did all of those things in the bathroom…down the hall."  
She sat up in bed. "You caught me." She smiled. "So, where are you going then? No, let me guess…" She faked like she was thinking, but you knew she wasn't. "You're going to Ashton's room. Wink wink."   
"As a matter of fact, no. We're meeting downstairs. It's my turn to provide coffee."  
"But you are going to see him. What's going on between you two anyway?"  
"Nothing, Katie. I told you, we had a project together. That's what we're doing today. We have to turn it in."  
"So there's nothing else…"  
"I've got to go Katie. I talk to you later."  
You shut the door behind you, leaving your overbearing roommate and all of her questions behind. Ashton was already waiting for you when you got to the Starbucks that the two of you frequented. He was holding two drinks.  
"I thought it was my turn." You whined, taking the drink from him. You were tempted to give him a kiss, but had to refrain yourself. There were too many students around who could potentially turn you in.  
"Consider it a gift." He smiled.   
"And what are the circumstances of said gift?"  
He shrugged. "There's a possibility that it's somebody's birthday tomorrow."  
"I wonder who that could be." You let Ashton's hand rest on your lower back as the two of you walked outside in the cool winter air. You weren't sure where you were going, but both you and Ashton seemed to be led by some unseen force.   
You found yourself instinctively following the path that led to the bench where you and Ashton had kissed almost a month ago. You threw your empty coffee cup in a nearby garbage can, and before you could fully turn around Ashton had his arms around you. His hands touching as much of you as he could as he pressed his lips against yours.  
You pulled away, despite your temptations. You leaned in close, letting your lips rest against Ashton's ear. "I love you, Ashton."  
"I love you too." His lips travelled back to yours.  
"But we really should go finish with this project once and for all."  
"I thought you might say that." He pouted. "Let's go then! No time like the present."  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Y/N!" Your professor proclaimed at the end of class that day. The rest of the class had left already, eager to head home for Christmas, but you were waiting for Ashton. He was hanging back to discuss the final projects with Professor Nissen. "What can I do for you?"  
"Oh, um… nothing really. I was just waiting for Ashton to walk me back to my room. That's all." You gulped, you'd never had to wait for Ashton like this. You could imagine Professor Nissen at any moment calling up Ashton's bosses and getting him fired from his job as Resident advisor. "I just don't like walking through campus alone. Not at this time of day."  
"I understand. Ashton lives in your building, yes?"  
"Yeah, yeah… that what makes it so convenient." You saw Ashton peek at you from where he sat, scribbling away on various rubrics.   
"Well, feel free to take a seat. We shouldn't be long." She took a seat next to Ashton. Every once in a while she'd point at something he wrote, but you couldn't hear a word she said. After about ten minutes she stood, and Ashton followed. "I trust you'll do good to review the projects and grade them accordingly."  
"You can count on me." He gave a quick handshake, but pulled your professor in for a hug anyway. "Thank you, Professor…for everything."  
"I take it the project went well for the two of you?"  
Ashton glanced over at you. "Well, yeah I guess. Why do you say that?"  
"Don't act like I don't know what you're really thanking me for. I always did pride myself on being a good matchmaker."  
Your face flushed and Ashton gave you a strange look. "Professor, I, uh…I don't know what to say."  
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She smiled at Ashton, then turned to you. "Y/N, it was a pleasure having you in class. I hope to see you here again."  
"Thank you, Professor." You replied. Ashton walked to you and took your hand.   
"Merry Christmas, you two!"  
"And a Happy New Year, Professor!" Ashton replied, walking with you out into the cool December day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Falling in love is such a beautiful thing. (LAST CHAPTER)

A little pink box with a silver bow. That's what was waiting for you when you and Ashton got back to his room. Katie had left for break, so you knew you had your chance to be with your boyfriend tonight. Ashton didn't exactly give the gift to you, but he led you to it. It was perched on his side table, fighting for space with his alarm clock. You could tell by the way he kept looking at it that he wanted you to open it.  
"C'mon, Y/N! Stop teasing me and just open it!" He snatched the small box and set it in your lap. "Go on. Open it!"  
"Ashton, my birthday isn't until tomorrow. I can't open it early."  
"Well…" He fidgeted a bit. "Maybe it's not for you. Maybe…maybe it's for me."  
You eyed him curiously but lifted the lid of the box. There was a layer of tissue paper hiding whatever lay inside. You spotted a bit of black lace as you slowly peeled the tissue paper away. You could feel your face go red when you realized exactly what it was that Ashton had gotten for you. You glanced at him to see his reaction, but his eyes were glued to the gift.  
"You bought me lingerie?" You asked, smiling at him.  
"I'm sorry! I can return it… I knew you wouldn't like it. God, I'm so-"  
"Ashton."  
"Yeah?" He replied almost before you'd even finished saying his name.  
"Would you…would you like me to try it on for you?" You tried to act casual. You'd never done anything like this before, but now it felt right.  
"Fuck, would I…"  
You motioned for him to turn around, but he didn't understand. You had to physically turn him until he faced the wall behind him. He would get to see you soon enough, and you didn't want him ruining the surprise. The surprise he'd arranged for himself, no less.  
You stripped yourself of all your clothing, making this the first time you had been completely naked in the same room as your boyfriend. You slid yourself into the lacy underwear. Your breasts were pushed up and threatened to spill out of the top. A little ruffle around your hips resembled a skirt, but was much too short to cover anything. Your midsection was almost completely exposed, leaving only a thin strip of fabric holding the two pieces together. When you looked in the mirror you had to admit…you'd never looked so sexy in your life.  
You walked silently to where Ashton was waiting on his bed. You grabbed his shoulders and roughly turned him to face you. His eyes widened when he finally saw your scantily clad figure, but he didn't say anything.  
"Well?" You whispered, taking a seat in his lap. "Is it everything you hoped it would be?"  
Ashton finally tore his eyes away from your body to look you in the eyes. "And more." He grinned. His hands found your waist and you let him press his fingers into your smooth skin. As your boyfriend gazed into your eyes you knew it was time. Surprisingly, you weren't nervous when you discovered that tonight was the night you'd lose your virginity. Somehow, knowing you were with Ashton made you feel so much better.  
You crashed your lips into his. You didn't waste any time pressing your tongue into his mouth. Ashton moaned beneath you as you ground your hips against his. When Ashton fell back onto the bed, you fell with him. You pulled your lips from his, but you stayed so close your noses still touched. Your hair created a curtain around both of your heads, blocking out what felt like the rest of the world.  
"You are so fucking beautiful." A kiss. "How did I get so lucky?" Another kiss. "I love you." He flipped you over so you were laying on your back, Ashton hovering above you.  
"Well, you are so fucking handsome." You kissed his neck. "And I'm the lucky one." You kissed his jaw. "I love you." You kissed his lips now, and slid your hands under his T-shirt. You pulled the fabric up and over his head. He rolled off of you for a moment, just to fully remove his shirt, then returned to straddle your hips.  
You were already working on removing his jeans when Ashton's warm lips attached to your neck. He sucked and licked and kissed one spot over and over again. You knew that a mark would be forming there. When he'd finished he allowed his lips to venture lower until he reached your breasts. You were still covered with the thin fabric of your lingerie, but Ashton made use of his hands and slowly began to remove the outfit that you'd just put on for him.  
"Wait." You breathed.  
"What is it?" Ashton sounded worried.  
"I'm already in my underwear, shouldn't you be too?" You emphasized your point by tugging on the waistband of his jeans.  
"Is that what you want?"  
"It's going to happen sooner or later." You smirked. "And I prefer sooner."  
"Fuck." He paused, but it was so quick you almost didn't notice. His breathing intensified just slightly. No more words came from Ashton's mouth as you pulled down his jeans. He kicked the useless clothing off of his body so that they landed in a heap on the floor.  
You smiled, taking in his nearly naked body. "That's better." His back was so smooth and perfectly sculpted as you raked your fingers down his back. "Now kiss me."  
No arguments came from Ashton. He fell onto you, his lips molding perfectly with yours. His hands resumed exploring your body. The jut of your hips, the curve where your legs ended and the rest of you began. Your breasts. He stopped there, but he didn't stop anything.   
"Y/N." He'd pulled away.  
"Wha-?" You were shocked when his lips attached to your breast. Your breath hitched and you instinctually rolled your hips into his. You could feel him as you did this, but it was obvious that he wasn't trying to hide his erection. It was all you could do not to rip his underwear off his body right then and there. But that didn't mean you couldn't fully disrobe him slowly.  
It was easy to slip your fingers under the elastic waistband, but as soon as you did so Ashton stopped his movements. "Y/N? Babe?"  
"Don't stop, Ashton. This all feels so good. Just please, don't stop."  
"I won't, Baby." He pecked you quickly on the lips. "Are we doing this? All the way?"  
You pulled his hips roughly against yours, capturing his lips as you did so. "I want to." You whispered. "It's up to you. I'm ready, Ashton. I'm so fucking ready."  
"Me too." He did nothing but stare down into your eyes. They were clouded over with lust, but you knew it was lust mixed with love.  
"What are you waiting for? Get this underwear off of me."  
One hand rested on the bed beneath you, the other set to work. Ashton tugged at the laces of your lingerie, not roughly but still quickly. He sucked down your neck, leaving a wet trail to your chest. As he moved lower, he also was pulling back the fabric. He was revealing more of you than he'd ever seen before.  
Your breasts were new territory to Ashton's mouth. His lips travelled slowly over you. The skin of this private region of your body smoother than any other. You shivered when Ashton allowed his tongue to swipe over the nipple of your right breast.  
Your hands, unlike his, found their way into Ashton's hair. From here you were able to control his movements. You held him close to your chest, never allowing him more than an inch to move over your body. His warm breath flowed over your skin, causing Goosebumps to appear all over your body. You willed them to go away, since you were not cold, but they refused.  
When Ashton had finished with your breasts, he ventured further down your body, to a more familiar part of you. Your stomach, your legs. At the same time as he made his way up your legs, his hands would pull on your skimpy outfit, until the fabric pooled on your hips.  
"Shit…" You moaned when Ashton lips pressed against you over top of your panties. Hands gripping your thighs, he bit down lightly and pulled. The fabric slipped away from your body and you were finally naked.   
Your boyfriend kissed your pussy. He would stick his tongue out, smirking when you would flinch. The more hit hot breath hit you, the wetter you became. You could hardly stand it, with all of his teasing. You were anxious to have him begin.   
Your breath hitched when Ashton rubbed a finger against your core, and you let out a quiet squeal as he pressed the finger into you. Your toes curled and you had to pull your fingers through Ashton's hair just to stay connected to reality. You pulled him just slightly closer to you and he flicked his tongue over your clit.  
"Fuck…" Your hips bucked, but this cause Ashton to pull his fingers out of you. He grabbed your hips and kept you pressed down against the bed. He pressed his tongue against you again, and he began to eat you out. He was so warm and wet against you and your body begged for more. You needed movement. You needed it now. "Ah-Ashton…" You moaned, your voice a breathy whisper.  
"Hmm?" He hummed, sending vibrations up your body. You moaned out loud.  
"Fuck me."  
His eyes, under his heavy lids, looked up to you. His mouth still moving over your pussy, he nodded. He left a few lingering kisses, moving up your body until your lips connected once again. You could taste yourself on his lips, but ignored it. All that mattered was Ashton.  
"Fuck me…" You said again.  
He nodded again, still not saying a word. He reached his hand over to his side table and pulled something from the small drawer under it.   
"My underwear," He said. "Get it off of me."  
You shimmied down the bed until you could reach your boyfriend easier. You hooked your thumbs under the waistband of his briefs and slowly tugged them down his body. Ashton ripped open the package he'd grabbed earlier. You finally pulled his underwear off releasing his hard cock.  
"Fuck, Y/N." Ashton moaned. He reached a hand to yours leaving a small object in the palm of your hand. "Just roll it on."  
Your hands shook as you rolled the condom on, and your heart threatened to pop out of your chest. When you were finished Ashton kicked his underwear off of his ankles and pulled you up further on the bed. Your head rested on Ashton's pillow when he kissed your lips again.  
"Y/N," He whispered. You didn't respond. "You're shaking. Are you okay?"  
You nodded, your head lolling like a bobble head. "I just wanna feel you."  
"Okay, Baby." He kissed your forehead, then your nose, and the your lips. "If you're ready I can…"  
You grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him hard and fast. His mouth was agape when you let him go. "Fuck. Me. I really want to have sex with my sexy as fuck boyfriend…right now."   
You took a hold of Ashton's hard on, leading his dick to your entrance. You held his cock against your throbbing core. Ashton bucked his hips, rubbing himself against your pussy. The head of his cock pressed against your entrance, rubbing over you. Ashton took one of your hands in his and squeezed. He pushed his cock into you. He waited for you to adjust before pushing in further. When he was fully inside of you he stopped. He simply lay on top of you, placing kisses all over you until he was sure you were ready.  
You nodded your head slightly and Ashton pulled almost all the way out. He slowly pressed back in. Over time his thrusts sped up. You held tight to his hand this entire time, but let your other touch him everywhere else. His back was sweaty and straining with the effort of his thrusts. His long curly hair fell over his eyes, the curls bouncing with every movement.  
Ashton was pounding into you, and you felt like you were in another world. The room smelled of sweat, the air filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin and hungry mouths kissing, biting, licking the other's body.   
You couldn't focus well enough to see much anything, all of your other senses working over time. It was like the entire room had disappeared and all that was left was you and Ashton. When he wasn't kissing you…or sucking on your breasts, he was gazing at you. His green eyes were alive. They would roll back once in a while until he was forced to close his lids.   
"Y/N…" He groaned, his voice breathless. He slowed his thrusts to stop and pulled out of you. He gripped your hips harshly, but rolled you over gently. You were lying on your stomach, with Ashton in position behind you. He rubbed your ass with one hand, the other led his still-hard cock back to your pussy. He didn't waste any time sliding into you.  
You closed your eyes when Ashton started slamming into you from behind. He still laid close to you, his chest pressing against your back. He put a hand to your stomach, lifting you just slightly. His other hand was wedged between your body and the bed, fingers closing to grip your breast.   
You were getting closer and closer with each thrust. Ashton's dick was hitting in just the right spot each time he pounded into you. You wanted to be closer to him, if that was even possible. His body was pressed against yours in every way it could be. But you needed more. You needed his kiss.   
You tried to hold off on your high as you reached behind you. Your hands met with Ashton's hair and you tangled your fingers through the curly locks. You pulled his head down, just next to yours and you tilted your heads so your lips could meet. Ashton's lips swallowed yours. He pressed his lips against yours as hard as he could, his tongue immediately slipping into your mouth.  
"I'm gonna…" You moaned into his mouth.  
"Me too, hold on." He sat up, the weight and heat of his body leaving you quickly. He grabbed your hips with such force that you knew bruises would form. He slammed into you harder than before, his thrusts becoming even more uneven as he approached his climax. "I'm gonna cum, baby."  
"Let it go…" You bit into the pillow when your high hit you. You clenched around Ashton's cock. He pounded into you a few more times and came. His thrusts slowed, savoring both his and your climax. As his thrusts slowed to a stop he fell back on top of you.  
You both lay completely still for a minute or two, coming down from your highs. Ashton pulled out of you slowly and tossed the condom in the garbage. Ashton adjusted positions so he was laying beneath you, your head resting on his chest.  
"Love you, Ashton." You whispered. You pressed a kiss to his chest.  
"Love you more, Y/N." He turned his head to look at you, but his eyes looked at something behind you. You turned, but could only see the clock. It read 12:48 AM. You looked back at Ashton and his lips captured yours for one last long kiss. "Happy Birthday."  
You smiled. "It's going to be so hard to leave tomorrow. Especially after this… I don't think I can go three weeks without fucking you, let alone three weeks without even seeing you."  
Ashton rolled to face you, and both of his hands grabbed both of yours. He held them in the small space between you. "Take me with you."  
"What?" You asked. You weren't expecting him to blurt this out.  
"Take me with you, Y/N. I don't have anywhere else to go for Christmas. My family isn't expecting me home until Spring Break. "Take me with you. You're family wouldn't mind, would they?"  
You smiled at the prospect of Ashton coming home with you for Christmas. "Well… You'd have to sleep on the couch." You grinned.  
"I can live with that." And he leaned in for one final kiss before he laid down and fell asleep. As you watch his chest rise and fall you just couldn't believe it. You'd never loved a boy before. Now, here you were. A month into your relationship with Ashton and the two of you were in love. It was a wonderful feeling to have.


End file.
